The Visitor Studies Group: Championing excellent visitor experiences
News & Events
The latest news and upcoming events from The Visitor Studies Group (VSG). To find out more or make a booking please see the events posted below.
WE’RE GROWING! VSG COMMITTEE OPPORTUNITY
The Visitor Studies Group is managed by a committee whose role is to: set the strategic direction for the Group oversee the annual programme of activities represent the Group professionally at conferences and workshops encourage partnership working with like-minded organisations within the UK and from overseas meet four times a year to ensure the needs… Continue Reading
VSG MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME 2021-22: APPLY NOW
After a successful pilot of the Visitor Studies Group Mentorship Programme, we are pleased to announce that we are continuing this offer for 2021-22 to support emerging audience researchers and anyone who has had audience research responsibilities added to their role. First ideated by long-standing VSG members who want to give something back to the… Continue Reading
2021 Virtual Event Series Programme
Join us for a Visitor Studies Group conference with a twist! For 2021 we have created an online event series taking place throughout May bringing together practitioners from the cultural sector and beyond to discuss a variety of themes. We want to explore, discuss, and discover different techniques that we have used in the past… Continue Reading
Call for proposals! VSG 2021 Virtual Conference
CALL FOR PROPOSALS VISITOR STUDIES GROUP VIRTUAL CONFERENCE 2021: Methods in the Madness: looking back to move Visitor Studies forward 10, 11, 13, 19 and 20 May 2021, timings TBC What methods have you used in the madness of the last year? The Visitor Studies Group is looking for papers for their Virtual Events Series… Continue Reading
Job vacancy: VSG Admin
VISITOR STUDIES GROUP ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT Fixed annual fee of £5000 pro-rata, with separate expenses. This is a freelance appointment and can be based anywhere in the United Kingdom A description of the role and the person specification can be found here: VSG Admin Job Advert . To apply for this position, please send a CV and covering letter outlining… Continue Reading
Visitor Studies Group Mentorship Programme Launched!
Who are VSG? The Visitor Studies Group is a volunteer-run membership organisation that aims to promote dialogue, facilitate debate and provide high quality training to support the professional development of those working in or engaging with audience research, evaluation, audience development, learning, community engagement and more in the cultural sector. What is the mentorship programme?… Continue Reading
Virtual Tea with VSG (2 June 2020)
Tea with VSG Tuesday, 2nd June 2020, 3-4pm via Zoom Join us for an informal hour of conversation over tea/coffee. We will be discussing as a group burning questions about the current situation and visitor studies more generally as well as provide support and direction to participants. We will also be listening to your needs… Continue Reading
February VSG meet up!
The VSG conference ‘ Co-Creating the Future: Participation and the Role of Visitor Studies ’ is coming up quickly! To get into the spirit of the conference, the VSG committee are hosting an informal pub gathering a few weeks in advance of the conference. This will give us the chance to start thinking about participation – and to catch up over a drink… We’ll also… Continue Reading
2020 conference programme announced!
Today, we are delighted to release the VSG Conference 2020 Programme ! This year’s annual conference, Co-Creating the Future: Participation and the Role of Visitor Studies will take place 5 & 6th March 2020 at the Museum of London. Tickets can be purchased via Eventbrite and there is a 10% early bird offer available until Friday 24th January (enter… Continue Reading
2020 Conference – tickets on sale!
We are delighted to open our 2020 conference for booking. Co-Creating the Future: Participation and the Role of Visitor Studies will take place 5 & 6th March 2020 at the Museum of London. Tickets can be purchased via Eventbrite . Over two days, we will explore, interrogate and understand how emerging research and evaluation around participatory… Continue Reading
2020 conference bursary opportunity!
Each year the Visitor Studies Group offers one bursary to support one person to attend our annual conference. This year we are offering one full (two-day) ticket for the conference plus £100 towards travel and accommodation. We are welcoming applications now. To apply, we ask that you send us one or two paragraphs demonstrating why… Continue Reading
Visitor Studies Group Conference 2020
We are delighted to announce the call for papers for our annual conference 2020. The topic of our 2020 conference is Co-Creating the Future: Participation and the Role of Visitor Studies. The conference will take place at the Museum of London, March 5th & 6th, 2020. Over these two days, we will explore, interrogate… Continue Reading
Big data toolkit
As part of the VSG 2018 Conference, ‘Big Data, Big Opportunities’, delegates were invited to contribute ideas to a ‘Big Data Toolkit’. We have compiled notes collected from the conference into the toolkit, which we are sharing with VSG members. This includes examples of ‘big’ and ‘bigger’ data used in the sector, examples of ‘big… Continue Reading
Masterclass -Commissioning audience research: a practical guide
23 January 2019, 15:00 – 17:30, Dana Research Centre and Library, Science Museum Tickets are free for Visitor Studies Group members or cost £30 for non-members and £20 for independent freelancers or students. Book via Eventbrite . The amount of audience research that the museums, culture and tourism sectors commission from external evaluators and agencies is ever… Continue Reading
Conference 2019: Bursary opportunity
*** The deadline for this bursary has been extended to Friday 25th January*** At VSG we always like to support the visitor studies community where we can, and we are pleased to once again offer a conference bursary, which will cover the cost of one person to attend the conference for both days. To apply… Continue Reading
Conference 2019 – programme announced!
We are delighted to announce the programme for the Visitor Studies Group conference 2019. VSG Conference 2019 Programme “Visitor studies: reflecting the wider world, advocating for change?” will take place March 7th and 8th, 2019, National Gallery, London. Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite . Use discount code ERLYBRD at checkout by 18th January for 10% off.
Early bird conference tickets until 18th January!
We are offering an earlybird discount of 10% on all of our conference tickets until Friday 18th January 2019. ***Book via Eventbrite and use discount code ERLYBRD*** “Visitor studies: reflecting the wider world, advocating for change?” will take place March 7th and 8th, 2019, at the National Gallery, London
#VSGConf19 tickets on sale!
Tickets for the Visitor Studies Group conference, 2019, have been released. Book via Eventbrite . ***Use discount code ERLYBRD for 10% off before 18th January.*** “Visitor studies: reflecting the wider world, advocating for change?” March 7th and 8th, 2019, National Gallery, London As visitor studies practitioners seeking to understand the broad identities of our visitors, how can… Continue Reading
Alison James Professional Development Bursary 2019 – applications open
In honour of Alison James, a keen supporter of professional development in the museum sector, a bursary of £500 is offered by VSG annually. We are delighted to open applications for this year’s award. Please find further details and the application form on our bursary page . The deadline is 11th January 2019.
Networking drinks – Sept 2018
Please join us on Tuesday 11th September at the Somers Town Coffee House from 6.30-8pm for networking drinks. Meet members of the committee and other audience researchers to discuss the latest happenings in the world of visitor studies as well as ideas for #VSGConf19’s call for papers . If you are planning on attending, please email: m.hobson@nhm.ac.uk so we can… Continue Reading
#VSGConf19 – Call for Papers
We are delighted to open up submissions for our 2019 conference: “Visitor studies: reflecting the wider world, advocating for change?” Taking place March 7th and 8th at the National Gallery London, we are looking for sessions that explore, interrogate and understand how emerging trends – especially those borne from audience research both within and outside the… Continue Reading
#VSGConf19 – what would YOU like the theme to be?
We are currently brainstorming themes for our next annual conference and we’d love to hear from you. Tweet @visitorstudies or email admin@visitors.org with any potential themes.
‘Big data, big opportunities?’ – Reflections
This year’s VSG Conference, ‘Big data, big opportunities?’ took place March 8th and 9th in London’s Natural History Museum. Our bursary recipient, Elena Trimarchi, reflects on a busy two days: The theme of this year’s conference was Big Data. One of the things that most struck me was the variety of the speakers’ backgrounds:… Continue Reading
The Visitor Studies Survival Kit training workshop
Training event, Inverness, 19th March 2018 The Visitor Studies Group has partnered with GEM to offer ‘The Visitor Studies Survival Kit’ to be held in Inverness next year. Presenting an overview of qualitative and quantitative research techniques that can be delivered on limited budgets with limited resources, this event will give GEM and Visitor Studies Group members… Continue Reading
Conference 2018
***Tickets can be purchased via Eventbrite .*** The full programme is available for download here: VSG Conference 2018 Programme . In visitor studies, we are constantly striving to respond to an ever-changing socio-political landscape. We are frequently tasked with helping our organisations understand and support evidence-informed decision making, in response to these often complex areas. As populations and communities… Continue Reading
Conference 2018: Call for Papers
We are excited to announce the theme for our 2018 annual conference and issue our call for papers . The theme will be: ‘Big data, big opportunities?’ In visitor studies, we are constantly striving to respond to an ever-changing socio-political landscape. We are frequently tasked with helping our organisations understand and support evidence-informed decision making, in response… Continue Reading
Bursary applications open!
Applications for the 2017 Alison James Professional Development Bursary are now open. In 2017 the VSG annual bursary will provide financial assistance to those in the early stages of their career to provide support and encouragement in their professional development. The closing date for applications this year is Monday 8 May 2017. Applicants will be expected… Continue Reading
Conference reflections
This year, the Visitor Studies Group were happy to be able to offer a bursary to assist one person to attend our conference. Louise Treble of Glasgow Museums was the deserving recipient and through the bursary was able to attend the full two day conference. Louise has kindly summarised her experience of the conference: As the… Continue Reading
Conference 2017 – Storify
For those of you who were not able to attend our 2017 conference, ”Measuring up”: ways of capturing social value and more intangible outcomes’, held in March, check out our handy Storify: https://storify.com/visitorstudies/visitor-studies-group-conference-2017 Thanks to all who tweeted and joined in the conversation over a thought-provoking two days!
Conference programme announced!
The full programme for the Visitor Studies Group’s 2017 conference, ”Measuring up”: ways of capturing social value and more intangible outcomes’ is available to view now. We think this is one of our most exciting programmes yet, featuring speakers from a diverse range of organisations and institutions both within and outside of the heritage sector. A sample of… Continue Reading